Oglaf – “Warning. This comic started out as an attempt to make pornography.” begins the opening page of the website. “It degenerated into sex comedy pretty much immediately.” Confirm that you are over 18 and we’re on our way!

Oglaf, by Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne, is the reason that my Master’s dissertation/thesis is completely pornographic and cannot be shown to my own mother. It is also one of my favourite webcomics, is really REALLY pornographic (you’ve been warned, though I think all images here are SFW apart from tree penis), and is co-created by a woman.

Why is that last bit important? Because this porn is not set out for the male gaze. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a whole host of ladybits on display and busty ladies jiggling up and down and up and down and… cough. But there are also sexy men being sexy with each other, sexy women being sexy with each other, and above all, it is a whole lot of damn funny stuff set in the rich world of sword and sorcery. Cerebus it ain’t.

From the dude learning to read thanks to his magic spelling jizz, the amazing and gay Conan spoof, the sexually frustrated frost-cock causing Snow Queen, aroused trees, attacking flatbears, slut-phobic vampires, and the insufferable Clit Tease, to the utterly adorable sentient Cumsprite (he is as he sounds), Oglaf never fails to make me crack up with laughter.

With roots firmly in comedy it’s interesting nonetheless to note the queer-friendly tone of this comic, and a rejection of gender norms. Obviously a great deal is tongue in cheek, sometimes literally, but it does make for a refreshing change from the usual avoidance of m/m or f/f relations.

The non-sequential nature of the strips make it easy to dip in and out or poke around the archives. Awards of course are not generally bestowed on such rude works of art, no matter how awesome they are, but there is one collected edition out thus far containing the first 199 pages plus bonuses. And as with all webcomics, the entire series can be read for free at the website – so indulge yourself today!

Just… don’t show it to your gran okay? Or do! But don’t show it to mine.

(NB – my kingdom for a plushie Cumsprite!)

Laura Sneddon is a comics journalist and academic, writing for the mainstream UK press with a particular focus on women and feminism in comics. Currently working on a PhD, do not offend her chair leg of truth; it is wise and terrible. Her writing is indexed at comicbookgrrrl.com and procrastinated upon via @thalestral on Twitter.

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Oglaf is above all incredibly funny. Yes, it’s filthy enough that I’ve actually SEEN it make a real live sex worker blush, but Oglaf is also one of the very first things I wind up showing friends since it’s something of a personality test.

I’ve probably ordered a half-dozen copies of the print edition. I wish I could meet the creators sometime.

It really is, it completely cracks me up and then my fella wanders over to see what I’m chortling at and then backs away slowly xD

It occurs to me that this is the only one I’ve featured where I haven’t bought the collection… I shall rectify that once my t-shirt size comes back in stock too. And maybe get a Lizard of Guilt plush too. Ahem.